Local News
City of Kenora says it is not interested in subdividing Town Island; will sell to only one purchaser
By BERNIE BELLAN
A story that we have been following closely has taken an interesting twist. In the case of the looming sale of that portion of Town Island which is not already owned by BB Camp, the City of Kenora has clarified that if the rest of Town Island is sold, it will not be sold to more than one purchaser.
In a news story reported in Kenora Online on December 20, it was reported that City of Kenora Manager of Development Services Adam Smith said that, if the island were to be sold, it “will be sold as a whole (emphasis mine), with the exception of the B’nai Brith Camp property which won’t be affected.
“ ‘I think there might be some misinformation in relation to us proceeding with subdividing the island. We will be selling it in its entirety, at least the part of the island that we own. If a purchaser did come in and wanted to divide the island, there is a process they would have to follow through the ministry of municipal affairs and housing,”
“ ‘I think people may be perceiving that once it is acquired, or purchased through say a private party, right away they would immediately be able to commence with development. There is further due diligence, especially through en environmental perspective that would have to be completed,’ he said.”
However, in the original Expressions of Interest/Request for Proposals that the City of Kenora posted in September, the wording of the EOI/RFP said Kenora would… sell the lands to an interested party who is prepared to immediately undertake an appropriate development (emphasis ours) that complies with all relevant regulations and procedures.”
We asked Adam Smith to clarify the apparent contradiction between indicating that a purchaser would be expected to undertake “an immediate development” and the story that appeared in Kenora Online on December 20.
Smith responded: “That has been a standard line in our EOI ads and has since been removed. It is more reflective of properties within town for which we would like to see a project move ahead right away.”
As well, the Canadian Jewish News has also reported on the story. In a December 30 story written by Paul Lungen, it is reported that Kenora Mayor Dan Reynard said that “there’s nothing in the city’s request for proposal that requires the island be turned over to developers. The city is open to receiving bids from stakeholders who wish to retain the island in its undeveloped state.“
The CJN story also noted that following an October meeting with the “Friends of Town Island”, the City of Kenora had “agreed to extend the deadline for bids until the end of January, to give the stakeholders more time to look into a bid.” (In our story in the December 25 issue, we merely noted that the deadline for receipt of proposals was January. We were not aware that the deadline was the “end of January”.)
In an email dated December 31, however, City of Kenora Manager of Development Services Adam Smith would not confirm whether any proposals for the purchase of Town Island had been received yet.
I did ask Smith though whether the City of Kenora had received an offer from BB Camp to purchase the rest of Town Island in 2014, which is when the camp purchased 30 acres of the island. He responded that he did “not have any knowledge of offers to purchase the rest of the island in 2014.”
Yet, in a CBC story about the proposed sale of Town Island it was reported that, according to Aaron London, “BB Camp has inquired about buying the rest of the island in the past, but camp officials were told it would be transferred to a public trust.”
In a subsequent email to me London did confirm that there had been discussions involving a member of the City of Kenora’s administration back in 2014 about BB Camp purchasing Town Island in its entirety.
As we also noted in the story that we published in our December 25 issue, moreover, according to a 2014 story in Kenora Online, a spokesperson for the City Council of Kenora had said that “they (the city council) are committed to preserving Town Island in its current natural state and protecting the fishery and natural habitats on and around the island.”
However, in the intervening years between 2014 – when the sale of Town Island was averted and BB Camp was able to purchase 30 acres of Town Island (leaving 156 acres still owned by the City of Kenora) – and the present day, the City of Kenora has found itself subject to much increased social and financial pressures due to a variety of factors.
In a report issued by the Ontario Human Rights Commission in September 2019 which was titled “Report and recommendations on homelessness in Kenora”, it was noted, among other findings, that “Kenora is facing an immediate homelessness and drug addiction crisis which has a disproportionate impact on First Nations people who live in the city. (It’s a crisis where loss of life is foreseeable). The immediate crisis is related to:
o the forced displacement of vulnerable people, including people with addictions and mental health disabilities, who had been living in a substandard low-rise apartment building (Lila’s Place), coupled with fires that demolished two other low-income apartments in recent years
o the recent arrival of methamphetamine (“crystal meth”) from Winnipeg and associated health and safety-related issues
o the closure of other emergency shelter services at the Fellowship Centre due to lack of sustainable funding.
In the CJN story, Kenora Mayor Dan Reynard noted his frustration with the Province of Ontario and the province’s unwillingness to become involved in helping to provide a solution to the Town Island situation. According to the CJN story, Mayor Reynard said “talks with the province went on for years, ‘but it just seemed to get bogged down in the system.’ In the meantime, ‘we’ve got this asset and a big infrastructure deficit within the community,’ he said.”
The 2019 budget passed by the City of Kenora included a major increase in expenditures for policing. As Mayor Reynard explained in a story reported in Kenora Online in March 2019 “$650,000 of the $900,000 in tax increases approved weren’t within council’s control, including more than $400,000 related to an increase in policing costs.
“The increase is connected with a rise in calls for service, the mayor said. The OPP have said the increase in calls for service is related to the introduction of crystal meth, and there has been a related increase in petty thefts – including break-ins – officers say is associated with the drug.”
Thus, while many readers are no doubt concerned that Town Island’s future may be in jeopardy, it is important to be aware of the many factors that have led to this current situation, especially the much increased difficulties in which the City of Kenora finds itself.
Local News
Nakba exhbit at CMHR – you can see it right here and make your own assessment
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted June 26, updated July 19) The Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Exhibit for Human Rights opened to the public June 27. The morning before the exhibit was set to open to the public, (it had a private opening for invited guests the evening of June 26) we received a press release from the CMHR. That press release gave a very detailed description of what was in the exhibit, along with photos (supplied by Annie Kierans of the CMHR).
There is also a link right at the beginning of the press release that will allow you to watch the same videos that anyone attending the exhibit can watch. We reprinted what was sent to us without making one edit. We leave it to you to form your own opinion as to whether the exhibit is fair in its presentation, and whether it is lacking “context” – which is an accusation that has been levelled at the exhibit’s organizers by some representatives of Jewish organizations.
We have received many emails in reaction to the exhibit. If you have an opinion and would like to see it published on this website, you can send it to jewishp@mymts.net, but please indicate whether you would be willing to have it published on this website.
Here is what we received the morning of June 26:
Winnipeg, MB — June 26, 2026 — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will open a new exhibit tomorrow that explores human rights violations related to the ongoing forced displacement of Palestinian Canadians.
Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present will be on display in the Rights Today gallery on Level 5 until 2028. Featuring personal stories told through artifacts and video testimonies, the exhibit presents Palestinian Canadians reflecting on their ongoing struggle for human rights. The small exhibit reveals enduring patterns of loss and resilience, helping visitors understand more about this contemporary human rights story.
Palestinian Canadian stories are now included alongside many other stories of forced displacement and human rights violations featured in the Museum’s galleries. Each of these stories contribute to our visitors understanding of human rights and help the Museum fulfill its mandate to foster reflection and dialogue.
Exhibition highlights
Personal stories and artifacts: Experience firsthand accounts from Palestinian Canadians sharing their journeys of displacement and memory through a series of five artifacts. Cases display artifacts like property deeds, house keys, and a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, accompanied by short videos that deepen understanding of the impacts of displacement.
Powerful artworks: In her painting Bound Together in Gaza, Malak Mattar, a Gazan artist, captures the struggles and resilience of her generation shaped by conflict. Her work pays homage to Guernica, Picasso’s powerful masterpiece depicting civilian suffering during war.
Curfews and Closures, by Rajie Cook, bears witness to life under military occupation during the 2000–2005 Palestinian uprising, when curfews and closures were expanded and further limited basic rights and freedoms.
Cultural heritage: Discover traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez. Tatreez motifs and colours are tied to place, family history and regional identity. Patterns are associated with particular towns, villages or areas of Palestine. In this way, tatreez is a form of storytelling: a way of preserving memory, sustaining identity and expressing resilience across displacement and exile.
Poetry and reflection: Engage with Mahmoud Darwish’s evocative verses, inspiring personal reflection on exile, voice, and responsibility. Visitors can take a card containing Darwish’s poem and add a personal note, fostering ongoing dialogue beyond the exhibit.
Contemporary context: Witness striking images of current events in Gaza and the West Bank, connecting past displacement to ongoing struggles.
Quotes:
“No force can silence the truth we carry. Growing up in Canada, my children lived the Nakba through our stories. And now we watch it happen again, live, on our phones. When I see the images coming out of Gaza, I am not watching the news. I am watching my history repeat itself.” -Fouad Sahyoun, a Palestinian Canadian featured in the exhibit
“We developed this exhibit with a clear awareness that Palestinian Canadian voices have too often been marginalized, silenced or spoken over — and that anti-Palestinian racism affects whose stories are heard and whose suffering is recognized. That is why we intentionally centred Palestinian Canadian voices throughout the exhibit.” -Isabelle Masson, Curator of Palestine Uprooted
“Human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient, when the question of who deserves the dignity of having their rights recognized is genuinely contested. These are the moments where having a national museum for human rights is most important.
There are people who believe this exhibit should not exist in its current form. There are people who believe it should have existed sooner. There are people who will visit this exhibit and feel that it does not say enough, and others who will feel it says too much.
We have listened to every one of these voices. We have reflected. And we have renewed our resolve to continue the difficult, sometimes contested, and often controversial work of building understanding about human rights. We are a museum grounded in Canada’s human rights framework, whose mandate requires us to bear witness to the full complexity of the human story. We are proud to open this exhibit because the story it tells will help achieve that mandate, and because this story belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
- – Isha Khan, CEO
Local News
A photo that’s being circulated on the internet about me
For those of you not familiar with nutjob Michael Kalo – the psycho who created the notorious “$hitler’s List” years ago and the same psycho who went after Ben Carr, well – now he’s obviously taken a strong disliking to the stance I’ve taken on the Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (You can read elsewhere on this website how I simply posted the entire exhibit as it is – and asked readers to form their own opinions.)
Kalo likes to send out emails to various individual using phony names – such as Frank Ostrowski. When people ask me (or asked Ben Carr) why we don’t take action against him, my answer is: What’s the use? He only basks in the attention.
So Michael – enjoy the attention you’re receiving. I know how much of an embarrassment you are to your wonderfully talented daughters.
Local News
Ami Hassan returning as owner of Falafel Place
By BERNIE BELLAN In a surprise move – and after more than a six-year absence as owner of Falafel Place (Corydon at Wilton) the legendary Ami Hassan has decided to return as owner of one of Winnipeg’s most famous eateries.
Long known for his sometimes irreverent attitude to his customers, e.g., “If you’re finished, get out!”, Ami decided to return to running Falafel Place after having retired years ago (or so he thought) from running the Corydon Avenue restaurant.
We asked Ami whether he’ll be sending a special invitation to Julia Roberts to come visit him at Falafel Place. He asked again: “Who’s Julia Roberts?” (Just kidding – he really does know how Julia Roberts is.) Read the story how Ami told her to leave the restaurant and come back later at Julia Roberts turned away from Falafel Place
Ami did note that when customers saw him inside the restaurant one recent day as he was getting it ready for the reopening Monday, August 10, over 20 of them came in asking him if he was open already.
We asked Ami whether the menu will be the same as it was when he last ran the place and he said everything will be the same.
Falafel Place will be open 7 days a week from 7 am – 2 pm. Remember, if you’re finished – get out!
